Mole Maps

The Marie Keating Foundation, in collaboration with creative agency Boys+Girls, has created a new nationwide campaign targeting skin cancer this summer. As Ireland has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, you're more likely to get skin cancer here than you are on a holiday destination.

The Irish insight anchoring the work is a simple one. We protect our skin when we are abroad, but don't think to do it here. Each county has been given a Mole Map as a reminder to protect your skin at home, with geotargeting used to communicate to people in each of the different counties. Along with creating a bespoke execution for each county, digital audio has also been used to highlight that the Irish sun is just as dangerous as the sun in Spain and Australia.

Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the country, so it is of vital importance that you protect your skin by regularly applying SPF and avoiding staying in the sun for too long. It's a vital message, especially as this summer is set to be one of the hottest on record.

Liz Yeates, CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation, said: "Through our MoleMaps campaign, we're asking people to rethink how they protect their skin at home. Too often, we only think about sunscreen when we're heading abroad, but you're just as likely to develop skin cancer in Cork as you could on the Costa del Sol. Melanoma doesn't care whether it finds you in Wexford or Waikiki.

With Ireland experiencing one of its hottest summers on record, it's more important than ever to remember that the sun at home can be just as damaging as it is on holiday. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, but almost nine in ten cases are considered preventable through simple SunSmart behaviours. We also want people to get to know what's normal for their skin and to speak to their GP if they notice a new or changing mole, a mark that looks unusual or a sore that doesn't heal. We hope this campaign encourages everyone to protect their skin at home, not just on holidays."

Dean Ryan, Creative Director at Boys+Girls, had this to say: "We are a nation that thinks a cloudy day protects us from the sun. We don't take sun protection here as seriously as we do when we're abroad. That observation became the heart of the MoleMaps idea. As a team we transformed every county in Ireland into a cancerous mole to help people realise that the danger of the sun is on their own doorstep and ultimately change the nation's behaviour."

The campaign is live across July and August. It is supported by the Marie Keating Foundation's partners: Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD and Regeneron.